Indian almond leaves (The Miracle leaf)
|Indian Almond Leaves|
Ketapang, Sea Almond, Indian Almond or Terminalia catappa leaves are known to most to be one of the best water conditioners to promote
- Lowers the pH of the water
- Helps create a soothing and calm environment for the fish.
They are known Nature’s Antifungal / Antibacterial Medication.Bettas are known to be induced to spawn by just putting a few of the leaves into their tank. Fish suffering fin rot or injuries such as spawning injuries will definitely benefit from having the leaves in their quarantine tub.
When soaked in water a strong brown dye is given off. The dye contains organic acids humic and tannins. The water darkens to a yellowish brown (tea-like color) after a few days, which is exactly the same as the Betta fishes' natural habitat. These may be useful for inhibiting many types of bacteria as well as to detoxify harmful heavy metals found in the aquarium.
|Indian Almond Leaves|
These leaves make a pharmacologically powerful tea add a dried leaf to provide a surface for the bubble nest and to leach substances that protect the fry from diseases as the leaves decay; they also provide detritus to grow extract-resistant infusoria for the babies.
They are not simply sources of stains and tannins and other acids as we would get from oak or hickory, rich in many other kinds of complex and highly effective chemicals with a wide range of physiological & antimicrobial effects.
|Indian Almond Leaves Packed for Exporting|
The humic and tannins from the Indian almond leaves also lowers the pH of the water, absorbs harmful chemicals and. The leaves can also be used to treat bacteria infection and help the Bettas recover from injuries. Some people also use them to increase breeding frequency.
How much Indian Almond Leaf or extract required will depend upon your water chemistry. Hard water with a high KH will require more than soft water with a lower KH. If you have blackwater fish or are using Indian Almond Leaves medicinally, you may wish to use more. If you are looking for therapeutic benefits, you'll want to use less.
Normal water for bettas put a 1-2 sq inch piece into each 4 litre jar For usual aquarium with tetras, gouramis, arrowanas, apistos etc, put 2-3 leaves per 100 litres for 14-21 days.